In this fictional documentary, a man achieves notoriety for his ability to look and act like whoever he's around. Becoming a celebrity in his own right, he then inspires a song, a dance craze, and a Warner Bros.

Allen is one of the most recognizable, and least protean, performers.... [P]erhaps ... someone else as Zelig ... could have got the idea across without the blandly explicit dialogue and brought more dimensions to the role, besides.